Neuroscience and Music Education

What if every child had access to music education from birth?

Anita continues her deep interest, begun during her PhD research, in the findings in the field of neuroscientcihfic research and how they challenge our current thinking about music education, both its purpose in education and pedagogy for music educators.

Let’s update an outdated understanding of music education in every child’s educational experience

— Anita Collins

Eighteen months on from her TEDxTalk, Anita is focussing her work in the fields of language development and executive function and how these two areas are the corner stones of early educational success. Music education has been found to have greater impact on these two skills than any other activity. With these findings in mind, Anita's work is around effective ways to update an outdated understanding of the purpose and place of music education in every child's educational experience.

PhD study - Neuroscience and Music Education

Anita completed her PhD from the University of Melbourne in the area of Neuroscience and Music Education. As a music educator, Anita was interested in exploring the possible ramifications that findings in the field of neuroscience on her practice as a music education. She discovered a much larger and more complex world of practice, research and advocacy. In her post doctoral work Anita is focusing on the dissemination and application of these neuroscientific findings for music education in Australia and beyond. This work has so far seen her branch out to create and produce two short films, start a Facebook page, embark on two research projects looking at disadvantaged youth and standardised testing and present on radio and numerous keynote addresses.

Exploring the neuroscientific research into the benefits of music education to enhance practice and advocacy